C5 I Am Still the Boss

"Your grandpa is truly formidable. When he speaks, his words carry a different weight; they command the winds and the storms, exuding an intimidating presence, bold and unashamed! And, he's got some thick skin..."

Wu Ge was taken aback by his grandpa's words.

His grandpa had claimed this was his turf, and Wu Ge was left stunned.

Wu Ge had thought he was now part of the trash-picking community, but he had never heard of anyone needing to stake out their territory for such a task in this day and age.

It seemed as though he was deliberately smiling at me.

However, it could very well be true, considering Wu Ge was new to the trade.

Wu Ge was taken aback by his grandpa's domineering attitude.

After a brief pause, Wu Ge resolved to pick up the bottle first and then discuss the matter with his grandpa.

The trash can was surprisingly full.

Wu Ge noticed.

It was undoubtedly a cash windfall. The reward was substantial.

But as Wu Ge was about to pick up the bottle, his grandpa stepped forward with a roar.

"Stop right there!"

He continued.

"I saw it first. You can't pick it up."

Wu Ge felt a surge of anger at these words.

His grandpa was going too far. If he wanted to pick up trash, let him pick it up. But to forbid him from doing so was unreasonable.

Wu Ge had clearly seen the bottle first.

And he was the one who had picked it up first.

Without hesitation, Wu Ge grabbed the bottle and tossed it into his sack, instantly adding 300 yuan to his balance.

Wu Ge was surprised that the reward had increased by an extra hundred yuan this time.

Then he addressed the old man with a cool tone.

"Is this trash can yours? Why can't I pick from it?"

The old man didn't seem inclined to reason.

"How is it not mine? I'm always the one picking up trash here. When did you show up?"

"Aiyo!"

Wu Ge exclaimed sarcastically.

"Then I've seen the trash bag you're carrying. By that logic, your trash bag is mine now, isn't it?"

The old man was flabbergasted.

He had encountered someone who wouldn't back down, someone who was challenging him.

The old man's face turned shades of red and white, then he blurted out defiantly.

"I don't care. Any trash can I see first is mine." After sizing up Wu Ge and noticing his height and build, he realized that if it came to a confrontation, he probably wouldn't stand a chance.

A benevolent smile graced his face as he imparted his wisdom tirelessly.

"Young man, you're in the prime of your life, so why are you competing with an old man like me? You're young, well-dressed, and capable. Why stoop to quarreling with me over scraps?"

Upon hearing the old man's softened tone, Wu Ge was finally receptive to his words.

Wu Ge was that kind of person; he treated others as they treated him. If you didn't have anything nice to say, don't expect a pleasant look from him.

Wu Ge responded, "Old man, you're mistaken. Why can't young people pick up trash? Besides, you're advanced in age and still doing the same."

The old man sighed deeply.

"Young man! I'm old, and no one needs me anymore. I pick up trash to help support my household, trying to make myself useful in my remaining years."

"I understand now," Wu Ge said, his lips curling into a smile.

"I also pick up trash to make good use of my time and to be eco-friendly. With the demolition of dozens of houses in my family, I probably won't need to do anything else for the rest of my life. Picking up trash is my way of giving back to society."

"I..."

Wu Ge spoke with pride about the dozens of houses.

But the old man, upon hearing this, glared at Wu Ge, his eyes filled with envy.

Wu Ge's words had the power to leave someone utterly speechless.

And they left the old man visibly embarrassed.

He actually believed him. "So you're saying you don't need to put in any effort for the rest of your life, just a young guy out here playing at picking up trash!"

"Exactly. When I heard about the demolition of our family's properties, life seemed so dull to me," Wu Ge said with a hint of sarcasm.

The old man, taking on a tone of earnest advice, said, "Young man, talking like that could get you into trouble!"

Wu Ge's face was all smiles.

Their initial argument had effortlessly transitioned into a friendly chat.

Indeed, the old man had started off quite stubborn, but they quickly hit it off once they started talking.

Still, the trash wasn't going to pick itself up.

Realizing the old man's predicament, Wu Ge made a suggestion.

"Here's an idea, sir. I've already picked up around this area today. I'll give you a hundred dollars, and you can go pick somewhere else. That way, we won't be competing for trash."

"Are you serious?"

The old man was ecstatic.

It would take him who knows how long to find a hundred bucks in the trash.

Yet Wu Ge handed it over without a second thought.

It was just the amount one might casually give for a piece of garbage.

"Of course I'm serious. Why would I lie to an elder? So, what do you say? Are you in?"

"No, no, young man..."

"Let's do a WeChat transfer!"

Wu Ge promptly sent a hundred yuan to the old man. Seeing his WeChat balance increase by a hundred yuan, the old man was all smiles.

Wu Ge grinned.

"Well then, off I go to pick up trash!"

He got up and headed towards the garbage bins, starting his trash collection. Wu Ge didn't overthink it; he just tossed whatever he found straight into his sack.

Each time he discarded a piece of trash, the System rewarded him with cash.

The old man felt somewhat sheepish accepting the hundred yuan.

He didn't leave, though; he just stood there watching.

But after a while, he couldn't stand it any longer.

"Young man, what are you doing? That's not how you pick up trash. Let me show you. These drink bottles, for example, are worth a bit—one cent each. And these cardboard boxes aren't bad either; you can sell them by weight!"

"You can sell these aluminum cans, too."

"But why are you picking up cigarette butts?"

The old man thought Wu Ge was clueless, so he started to teach him how to sort the trash.

Wu Ge said with a cheerful smile.

"Old timer, you know I'm not doing this for the money, I'm just..."

"I know, dozens of apartments, I know..."

Saying this made the old man feel uneasy. He had only just managed to make a down payment on a house for his son in his whole life.

And now the whole family lived there.

"Yes, I'm picking up trash to protect the environment."

Wu Ge declared with a sense of nobility.

He sounded like a true environmentalist.

"I'm not concerned about making ends meet anymore. I just want to contribute to society."

The old man was moved.

He saw Wu Ge as a fine young man.

"Young man, even though your heart is in the right place, that's just you. Us poor folks can only focus on surviving." The old man said, somewhat disheartened.

He spoke candidly.

"But young man, your approach isn't quite right. You're already wealthy, so why pick up trash? Wouldn't it be better to just donate directly to the poor?"

Wu Ge chuckled.

"Donate to the poor?"

He was collecting trash to earn money, not to have funds to donate.

But, if he ever became very wealthy, he might consider it.

He saw the old man smile.

"Actually, we're doing this to earn some income while protecting the environment. It's the best of both worlds."

"Selling trash might seem demeaning, but if scavengers like us didn't do it, who would handle all the trash in the end?"

"Or, since you enjoy picking up trash so much, why not open a recycling center? Then, if you raise your prices a bit, it could boost our enthusiasm as scavengers, leading to more people getting involved. That would be even better for the environment."

The old man smirked cunningly.

He had already come up with several tricks to fool Wu Ge.

It sounded good, but it was actually just a ploy to take advantage of Wu Ge.

Wu Ge, of course, saw through it.

Still, the old man's suggestion sparked an idea in him.

"Indeed, a recycling center!"

How much trash can one possibly collect on the streets?

"Setting up a recycling center could mean directly collecting trash there. If I give all the trash from the center to the system, wouldn't that make me rich?"

So, the old man's advice turned out to be an excellent strategy for Wu Ge.